- Large Size
- Government
Supplier Diversity and Transparency for a UK Government Organisation
Client Overview
A large UK government organisation responsible for managing procurement across multiple public-sector programmes. The organisation maintained an active supplier register of approximately 4,800 suppliers, ranging from micro‑businesses to large national contractors, a scale typical of central and arm’s‑length public bodies.
This case study is ideal for:
This case study is ideal for UK government and public-sector procurement teams managing large supplier networks, particularly those responsible for supplier diversity, MSME participation, EDI reporting and transparent, audit-ready procurement governance.
Ready to get started
Discover how our solutions can empower your business with comprehensive, up-to-date company information.
The Challenge
The organisation faced increasing scrutiny to demonstrate supplier diversity, fairness, transparency and inclusion across its supplier network.
UK public-sector procurement frameworks require robust reporting on:
- Representation of diverse‑owned businesses.
- Participation of Micro, Small and Medium‑Sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
- Alignment with equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) commitments.
UK public-sector procurement frameworks require robust reporting on:
Scale and complexity
With close to 5,000 active suppliers, manual assessment of ownership, size and diversity characteristics was not operationally viable.
Incomplete supplier data
Core procurement records did not consistently capture ownership structure, company size or recognised diversity indicators.
Core procurement records did not consistently capture ownership structure, company size or recognised diversity indicators.
Slow, resource‑heavy reporting
Previous supplier diversity reviews required 3–5 weeks of analyst time and still relied on partial or outdated information.
The organisation needed a credible, repeatable and auditable method to understand the true composition of its supplier base.
The Solution
The organisation partnered with DataGardener to deploy its supplier diversity intelligence and analytics solution.
Using automated data enrichment and classification, DataGardener enabled the client to:
- Enrich over 95% of supplier records with verified company intelligence.
- Classify suppliers by business size in line with UK MSME definitions.
- Identify diverse‑owned suppliers using ownership signals, certification data and demographic indicators.
- Consolidate insights into a structured dataset suitable for internal reporting and governance reviews.
The full supplier network was analysed in under one hour, replacing weeks of manual research.
The Results
A Defensible View of the Supplier Network
The analysis produced a clear and realistic picture of supplier composition
- ~4,800 suppliers analysed across the full procurement register.
- Approx. 9–11% identified as diverse‑owned businesses (≈430–520 suppliers), consistent with UK public‑sector benchmarks.
- Around 68% classified as MSMEs, reflecting typical government supplier profiles.
- 95%+ coverage with consistent size and ownership categorisation.
Measurable Efficiency Gains
- Reporting cycles reduced from 3–5 weeks to under 48 hours.
- An estimated 75–80% reduction in manual data‑gathering effort.
Stronger Governance and Reporting Confidence
- Enabled evidence‑based EDI reporting to senior leadership and audit stakeholders.
- Improved transparency for internal reviews and external assurance processes.
- Established a repeatable baseline for future supplier diversity monitoring.
Client Feedback
“DataGardener provided a reliable, evidence‑based view of our supplier network at a scale we could not previously manage. The insights significantly improved both the speed and confidence of our diversity and procurement reporting.”
— Head of Procurement, UK
— Head of Procurement, UK
Takeaway
Large public-sector supplier networks demand insight that is accurate, auditable and scalable.
By applying structured supplier intelligence, this organisation gained a clear, defensible view of diversity and MSME participation, reduced reporting effort, and strengthened confidence in procurement governance and EDI reporting.
By applying structured supplier intelligence, this organisation gained a clear, defensible view of diversity and MSME participation, reduced reporting effort, and strengthened confidence in procurement governance and EDI reporting.
Ready to get started?
See how DataGardener can help your organisation gain a deeper, data‑driven understanding of its supplier network.
